Job Discussion Forums

whatthefunk · Joined: 05 Aug 2003 Posts: 130 Location: Japan

I heard a rumor that the visa laws will be changing soon so that our visas will be tied to our jobs...meaning that if you quit your job, you loose your visa. Is this true???

Sage · Joined: 09 Apr 2003 Posts: 144 Location: Iwate no inaka!

I donno but I sure hope not. Can you imagine how much that would screw a lot of companies in Japan?

whatthefunk · Joined: 05 Aug 2003 Posts: 130 Location: Japan

it would totally destroy a lot of small schools who rely on part timers with visas from other companies. not only that, but the foreign population (at least white guy population) would probably half. i have no idea if this is true or not...just what i heard. i would think that if it was true, i would have heard more about it though... someone told me that the big companies like nova, geos etc. pushed for the change cause they were sick of sponsoring visas and then having people leave on them.

stillnosheep · Joined: 01 Mar 2004 Posts: 2068 Location: eslcafe

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Rumors are rumors. I have not heard such a thing. Where did you?

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

whatthefunk · Joined: 05 Aug 2003 Posts: 130 Location: Japan

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

LobsterSan · Joined: 26 Apr 2005 Posts: 17 Location: Fukuoka

I was going to start a new thread for this, but this thread is very closely related to my current situation.

I was planning on leaving my current employer in November, as that is when my contract is up. However, my current 3 year working visa is sponsored by them, and I'd like to take a few months off to concentrate on my Japanese studies and to travel around Japan a bit before starting work again in April. I have plenty of savings to call upon during this spell of no income. I called up immigration, and they frowned on the idea of my taking a vacation. The information lady also told me it was ill-advised to travel outside of the country on my working visa if I am no longer with the company that sponsored it. This kind of broke my heart, because I would like to return to my home country for a month or so in December if possible, as I've not spent much time with my family or friends back home since coming to Japan 2 years ago.

Does anyone know if it is possible to actually do what I want to do? That is, to change employers on the same visa and to take a 4 month vacation inbetween? And particularly, within that 4 month vacation to return to my home country and make it back into Japan without being deported or detained?

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

LobsterSan · Joined: 26 Apr 2005 Posts: 17 Location: Fukuoka

Well, I guess I'll give immigration another call. I'll try to get more information out of the help center this time, and maybe try a different immigration branch. It would be good to know if there is officially a visa deactivation if I'm unemployed for a few months.

Paul, are you saying that there should be no problem in my leaving the country and re-entering on my old visa, even if I no longer work for the sponsor of said visa? I have a multiple re-entry stamp, but I'm afraid that if immigration checks up on my sponsor and finds that I no longer am working for them, won't they revoke my visa or possibly worse? Or is sponsorship something completely independant of the actual visa?

kendoman1 · Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 69

If your visa is still valid and you have a re-entry permit no probelms. Most of the time immigration doesnt even look at your stuff if this is in it.
OK and now for the important part. When immigration scans your pass-port it just verifys your name , date of birth and nationality. It does not show stuff like you owe money,your visa has been revoked or anything else like this. It is forbidden by international law to do this. The only thing someone can tag your visa for is if your wanted for a major felony charge such as murder, viloent rape, etc.

lajzar · Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Posts: 647 Location: Saitama-ken, Japan

My previous employer (which I won't publicly name) tried to tell me I had to switch to a tourist visa within 3 months of leaving or get another sponsor. Everyone else I spoke to at the time, including some people in various unions, said this was very reminiscent of the faecal matter from a healthy male bovine. This was at the very start of this year.

LobsterSan · Joined: 26 Apr 2005 Posts: 17 Location: Fukuoka

Thanks for the replies. I'm still just a bit curious as to what the actual relationship between sponsorship and visa is, and if they are completely independent of eachother. As well, as an ode to the original topic which I somewhat derailed, whether or not the legality of said relationship is changing. I know there's an immigration lawyer that gives free consultations in Fukuoka, so I might just check in with him about it. Regardless of the legality, it currently seems that people are able to "own" their visas -- so the sponsor seems to be just like an initial guarantor that claims responsibility for the alien in question, and this can't really be revoked. It's something I've always wondered since before I first came to Japan.